How To Make Espresso Without Machine

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Did you find a passion for homemade coffee but don’t have an espresso machine yet?

Well, don’t worry as you will learn how to make espresso without machine.

While it’s true that having an espresso machine allows for more control in making espresso, you can still get similar results by using the following steps.

Before learning how to make espresso without machine, it’s important to understand the basics of espresso.

What is an Espresso?

An espresso is coffee beverage that is made with finely ground coffee beans that are tightly packed into a filter basket.

Water is then pumped through this filter basket at very high pressure, resulting in a thick and rich beverage known as espresso.

An espresso is simply a shot of a black-rich coffee of about 1 oz per shot and is usually served in espresso cups.

I have a whole article dedicated to everything you need to know about espresso. I recommend you read this also.

How To Make Espresso Without Machine in 3 Simple Ways

Ok! You either don’t want to buy an espresso machine yet or you just don’t want to spend that much money on it.

That’s fine, we can do without a machine and still make a great-tasting espresso!

But again, using an espresso coffee maker will actually give you better ratios, more control over your beverage, and also more options to choose from.

Now let’s see the different brewing methods you can actually use to make the perfect espresso without a machine.

I will show you how to make espresso without machine using these inexpensive methods:

How To Make Espresso Without Machine – Stuff You Need

Brewing espresso at home without a machine should be a fun experience as what will follow is a rich and creamy espresso!

All you need to do is invest in a few basic things and get ready to have fun.

Things you’ll need:

Before you learn how to make espresso without a machine, let me share a few quick and hot tips on how to brew the perfect espresso:

Start With Good Quality Coffee Beans

Even though having a fancy espresso machine won’t guarantee good-tasting espresso, using a good quality coffee will.

Therefore I suggest you start with nice quality ground coffee beans, preferably freshly ground.

This way, you will have more control over the quality of your final product which matters the most.

I’ve been talking about the importance of freshness when it comes to coffee beans.

And, after steeping the ground coffee in hot water for a few minutes, there’s no way that you can go back in time and get that flavor back.

So fresh and high-quality coffee beans is key.

Always go for 100% Arabica beans when buying coffee because they have less caffeine content, thus giving you a better-tasting espresso.

Choose A Coffee That Suits Your Taste

Don’t just go gung-ho when you have never tasted an espresso before.

Go buy a few varieties of beans and use them in your manual maker to learn which one you like best.

There are various brands available in the market so choose one that fits your budget or is within your budget.

Always buy in small quantities so that you never run out of supply!

I suggest you try different blends to see what suits your taste buds best because taste differs from person to person.

Careful About Ratios

Use the right amount of coffee beans for the amount of water you will be using.

You can always add more if it’s too weak but if it’s too strong, your only option is to dilute it with water.

And doing this, you’ve already ruined the coffee drink.

Use Proper Water

Whatever coffee you choose, always use filtered water to avoid possible mineral deposits.

This is because the water can filter out any unwanted particles which will affect the taste of your espresso.

In addition to that, the water will give your coffee a hint of mineral aftertaste if it has been filtered before being used for brewing coffee.

Make sure that the water is free from any substances that you don’t want to have in your espresso drink such as chlorine and chlorides, chlorine smell, and other minerals.

As earlier mentioned, I suggest using a charcoal filter instead of a stainless steel one as they are more effective in filtering out impurities from the tap water.

So, now it’s time to learn how to make espresso without machine!

Let’s go!

How To Make Espresso Without Machine Using A French Press

Step 1 – Find the Right Coffee Beans

As with all types of coffee, you want to start by choosing the right beans.

While any type can be used, it’s important to use espresso coffee beans.

Note that for a richer and more flavorful cup of espresso, we usually use dark roasts.

Tip: Use 7 grams of coffee beans per single shot. A double shot of espresso requires around 15g of coffee beans.

Step 2 – Grind the Beans

Simply put, you will need to grind your beans into a fine powder.

This is generally done on a coffee grinder, which is used to produce a powder that has precise amounts of different types of particles.

Grinding can be done using tools other than a coffee grinder.

You can learn about the many ways to grind your beans at home, which is something I highly recommend for better coffee.

Tip: For a typical espresso, you should come up with 15g-18g of coffee grounds.

Step 3 – Heat Water to the Right Temperature

To make sure you get the right flavor of the espresso grounds, it’s important to use hot water.

But, you should not use boiling water as it can burn or scald your grounds.

You should start with heating the water to about 190-196 degrees Fahrenheit or 87-91 degrees Celsius.

Tip: Make sure water is hot enough otherwise it won’t extract the flavor from the grounds.

Step 4 – Prepping Your Espresso

Place your coffee grounds first in your French Press, slowly add your hot water and gently stir to mix.

Place the lid and wait around 3-4 minutes.

Step 5 – French Pressing It

Now gently and slowly apply pressure on the plunger until it reaches the bottom.

Step 6 – Pour and enjoy!

How To Make Espresso Without Machine Using An Aeropress

Step 1 – Find the Right Coffee Beans

As with all types of coffee, you want to start by choosing the right beans.

While any type can be used, it’s important to use espresso coffee beans. Note that for a richer and more flavorful cup of espresso, we usually use dark roasts.

Tip: Use 7 grams of coffee beans per single shot. A double shot of espresso requires around 15g of coffee beans.

Step 2 – Grind the Beans

Simply put, you will need to grind your beans into a fine powder.

This is generally done on a coffee grinder, which is used to produce a powder that has precise amounts of different types of particles.

Grinding can be done using tools other than a coffee grinder.

You can learn about the many ways to grind your beans at home, which is something I highly recommend for better coffee.

Tip: For a typical espresso, you should come up with 15g-18g of coffee grounds.

Step 3 – Heat Water to the Right Temperature

To make sure you get the right flavor of the espresso grounds, it’s important to use hot water.

But, you should not use boiling water as it can burn or scald your grounds.

You should start with heating the water to about 190-196 degrees Fahrenheit or 87-91 degrees Celsius.

Tip: Make sure water is hot enough otherwise it won’t extract the flavor from the grounds.

Step 4 – Building Your Espresso

Place your paper filter at the bottom of the Aeropress and pour in your coffee grounds.

Add around 30ml or 1 oz of hot water, stir for a few seconds and wait around 10-15 seconds.

Now add the water as quickly as possible until it reaches the number 2 on the Aeropress and stir a bit. (It’s about 120ml of water)

After a minute, start pressing until all the air is squeezed out of the drink.

Apply a strong but slow pressure on the Aeropress.

Step 5 – Pour and enjoy!

How To Make Espresso Without Machine Using A Moka Pot

Step 1 – Find the Right Coffee Beans

As with all types of coffee, you want to start by choosing the right beans.

While any type can be used, it’s important to use espresso coffee beans. Note that for a richer and flavorful cup of espresso, we usually use dark roasts.

Tip: Use 7 grams of coffee beans per single shot. A double shot of espresso requires around 15g of coffee beans.

Step 2 – Grind the Beans

Simply put, you will need to grind your beans into a fine powder.

This is generally done on a coffee grinder, which is used to produce a powder that has precise amounts of different types of particles.

Grinding can be done using tools other than a coffee grinder.

You can learn about the many ways to grind your beans at home, which is something I highly recommend for better coffee.

Tip N^o 1: For a typical espresso, you should come up with 15g-18g of coffee grounds.

Tip N^o 2: Don’t grind the beans as fine as you would for an espresso machine. For a Moka pot espresso, grinding your beans a little bit coarser will avoid you from getting that super bitter taster.

Step 3 – Heat Water to the Right Temperature

To make sure you get the right flavor of the espresso grounds, it’s important to use hot water.

But, you should not use boiling water as it can burn or scald your grounds.

You should start by heating the water to about 190-196 degrees Fahrenheit or 87-91 degrees Celsius.

Tip: Make sure water is hot enough otherwise it won’t extract the flavor from the grounds.

Step 4 – Prepping Your Espresso

Place your grounds in the filter basket, fill in the water chamber with hot water and close the Moka pot.

Now, place it on the burner and wait for it to brew.

When you hear a gurgling sound, turn off the burner and let it run under tap water to stop the brewing process.

Step 5 – Pour and enjoy!

Final Thoughts on How To Make Espresso Without Machine

There are many ways to make espresso without a machine, some are better than others.

Although an espresso coffee maker will save you time and allow you to make your coffee right away, it will also cost you money.

If you want to save some cash, an Aeropress or an espresso pot like the Moka pot are good options.

However, both the Aeropress and the Moka pot can be difficult to master.

As far as taste goes, I’d recommend choosing between the two based on your preference of strength.

Overall though, if you’re looking to save some cash and make an excellent espresso coffee drink, you can’t go wrong with these 3 methods.